Dreamland
by marquis1305
Summary: Damon knows he screwed up, so he sets out to make things right. He just hopes that Elena will forgive him in the end. Post 4.16
1. Dropping In

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of their characters. I simply own this plo**t.

Damon reached out a hand, his fingers gently brushing against her cheek. It was his fault that she was like this. His fault that if she woke up now, all she would be was pissed. Not like their first night together, where she was all giddy and happy. Not like any of the other nights that he had crashed in her bed despite her, just to spite her, and she would act indignant, pretending she didn't like having him near her. No, this time she would scoff at him and push him away, or worse yet, try to pull him in and try seducing him.

Damon smirked. As if that would ever work, she might have a hold on him normally. But this girl wasn't Elena. Not the Elena that he loved, he didn't want this girl. Didn't love her enough to want her, despite what she was currently claiming.

The girl sure did think a lot of herself sometimes.

Sighing, he laid down beside her, getting as close as possible to her warmth. Now that she was on a steady diet of fresh human blood, as fresh as it came, she had regained most of her normal temperature. The tumbler of bourbon that she had downed before bed helped as well, but Damon refused to think about that right now. Elena drunk was one thing, fun; Elena without emotions drunk was another thing entirely. Between her blunt statements and nonchalant attitude, it was difficult to remember what this girl had once been.

The thought of Georgia crossed Damon's mind, and an idea formed, as well as smirk. Reaching out to touch Elena again, he held her close to him. Just tight enough that he didn't hurt her, but knowing that with his strength even if she woke up, she wouldn't be able to escape for long. Pushing his thoughts out, he entered her dream.

_It was the Gilbert house. Elena walked through the kitchen, sighing softly, occasionally reaching out to touch something, but bringing in her hand at the last second. Damon leaned against the far wall, watching her closely. _

"_I know you're there Damon. You couldn't leave me alone, could you?" She asked without looking at him. Her hands finally resting on the picture taped to the refrigerator. It was a picture of her, Jenna, and Jeremy. One that was taken during a much happier time period._

"_You know, I could let you see them here. Almost anything is possible," his eyebrow raised slightly at the suggestion. Wondering if that was what she needed to finally get some closure._

"_Right, because I totally want your watered down versions of the people I love. Just line them up Damon, all the people who died because of me," turning towards him, she smirked softly. Raising a hand, then ticking off fingers as she recounted names. "Mom and Dad, who died because I wanted to go to a stupid party rather than stay for family night. Jenna, because Klaus needed a vampire for the sacrifice that I was a key part of. Jon, saving my life from that same sacrifice. Alaric, your best friend, because Doppelganger blood is a powerful spell tool. Because a witch wanted to end all vampirc life, and have a fool proof Hunter who died when I died. Jeremy, for this stupid cure that I only want to convince you that I really loved you, or because everyone else wanted to cure me. Did I remember everyone?" _

_She cocked her head toward the side. Those fingers burning into his soul, along with the list of names they accompanied. Damon let his gaze drop from Elena's form. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself._

"_Elena, doing this to yourself isn't going to help you stay numb," He said softly, taking a step towards her._

"_No, doing this, looking at this house full of their memories will only cause me pain. But hey, at least I will be feeling again. Isn't that what you want?" She chuckled darkly. "Sorry, I forgot. What you want doesn't matter anymore. Thanks to losing my emotions, we also lost the sad effects of the sire bond. But you wanted that as well. You wanted to know that I wanted you despite the sire bond. Too bad now you will still feel guilty for wanting me."_

_Damon walked towards Elena slowly, placing his hands on her shoulders. He looked her deeply in the eyes._

"_Right now, what I want doesn't matter. You're right, I still want you. But all you want is to not feel the pain of their loss. Elena, this isn't the way to deal with that grief."_

"_THEN WHY WOULD YOU HAVE ME SHUT IT OFF IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Elena exploded, pushing Damon harshly against the wall. The old house groaned with the effort of staying upright, even in the dream. "If keeping that grief away wasn't the point, why shut me off?"_

_Damon gripped Elena's wrists, yanking her hands away from his neck as gently as he could. "I did it because you needed a relief. I told you to shut it off, at the time that was all I could think to do to keep you from feeling pain. Because I hate whenever you hurt. Whenever I can't protect you from everything that goes bump in the night I feel like I fail you. I couldn't do that again, couldn't put you through the heart break all over again. But it is time to face everything, for both of us. I was selfish to keep you from being able to mourn like you should have, I didn't want to fail you. But in the end I did anyways, I always do, and maybe one day you will forgive me for that."_

**A/N This is my first fic, and I am unsure that I have really captured their characters, so please feel free to give me feedback. I am thinking of making this multi-chapter if I get enough people interested, but if not then it may just stay a one-shot.**


	2. Deeper

**Chapter 2- Deeper**

**A/N Thank you so much to those who have followed me and this story. I will do my best to post at least 3 times a week, if you want me to. Please please please review, I really would love to see what you all think of the story thus far. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, if I did Damon would never hurt like he does.**

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Damon felt the tears leak down his cheeks, glad that Elena was still stuck in the dream that he had taken control. He could never let her see him like this. Not now. Not with her like this. His breath hitched for a moment.

"Focus Damon... You put her in this mess, you're the only one who can get her out of it. It isn't as though you haven't saved her ass a million other times when she didn't want it." He rolled his eyes at that. But it was true, he was the only one willing to sacrifice anything and everything to keep her safe and sane. This time was just like the rest, saving her from herself. And her morbid inability to not be the martyr. She even gave Stefan a run for his money in that department. Shaking his head slightly, Damon focused back in on the dream.

"_But in the end, I did anyways, and maybe someday you will forgive me for that." He didn't want her to see the pain in his eyes. The way the clear, crystal blue clouded for a moment. But she did notice, the way she always noticed him. The way that she could always see past his barrier. There had been a time where he hated that about her, wanted to hate her for it. But he never could._

_Smirking, resembling Damon remarkably, Elena just shook her head. She stepped back from him, her wrists slipping from his grasp with grace. If ever there had been a point where Damon had seen her resemblance to Katherine, it was now, and he would have been happier taking a stake to the heart than witness this._

_She moved with a purpose, working an angle. Her lithe body swaying with each step, tantalizing and dangerous. Her mahogany hair draped delicately around her neck, she flipped it with a small chuckle. _

"_Poor little Damon. Always looking for forgiveness, even when you can't admit it to yourself. All you ever wanted was someone to choose you over Stefan. To put you first," the words dripped from her tongue like honey, but venom rang in her undertones. She swept a circle around Damon, her fingers drifting across the skin of his back. Leaning closer, she let her tongue sweep against his ear as she spoke again. "I put you first. But only after I was sired to you. When I had no choice, isn't that right? Even when I begged you to believe me; that I had finally made my choice, all you could hear were those words ringing in your ears. _Always Stefan. It will always be Stefan. _Maybe I should bring him into this dream? Show you just how much it will always be him? Would you like that... Sire?"_

_Damon went stiff as a board. He wanted to shake with anger, but instead he couldn't move as she wove her webs around him. The way she touched him invited him closer, pleading with him to share in those little touches that he had so relished for that one night. He would have died to hear her beg him again, like she had on the phone shortly thereafter. But no, instead his muscles tensed in an effort to keep him from collapsing. He couldn't bring himself to step away from her, couldn't keep her out of his head. She knew all his weaknesses, and she had just exploited them._

"_Why won't you answer? Did I do something that you didn't like? You can always just tell me what you want, can't you?" She let her hands slip around to his front. Massaging his chest softly. Her breath tickling his ear. She smiled wickedly, venomously. She was holding out the poisoned apple, just waiting for him to take a bite. "Tell me what you really want Damon."_

_He could give in, he wanted to give in. But he knew that that wouldn't make this better. Wouldn't numb him to everything she was doing. All the strings she was playing with. And he had thought Katherine the mistress of manipulation. _

"_Wouldn't your great-great- whatever be proud. Seems like you really have learned to be like her," he whispered the words just loud enough for Elena to hear._

_Shock ran through her system. She hissed and pushed him away from her. Black veins running around her eyes, fangs dripping and glinting from light that came from everywhere at once. "How dare you compare me to her?! We are nothing alike."_

_Damon's chest rumbled with laughter. "Aren't you though? You look like her, that was what made me and my brother interested in the first place, remember? You smell like her, all Jasmine and Vanilla. She used to dry up Jasmine flowers from my mother's garden in her trunks. Just to keep the smell of it on her clothes. You even play me and my brother like her, the little puppet master pulling at strings. Making us dance with you in this twisted little game." _

_His eyebrows quirked, daring her to deny his accusations. He knew that the real Elena was nothing like Katherine, could never be that cold and calculating. Even this Elena lacked the ability to casually knock someone down. She had too much fire to pull it off. But the comparison was something that had always gnawed at her. Especially after finding that picture the first night she spent with Stefan. Damon remembered exactly how much she had distrusted Stefan after that, after all, he was the one who had kidnapped her the next day. Reminded her for a short time what it was to have fun and not worry about being the Doppelganger. _

_Elena hissed again, knowing that she could not deny the claim when she had so obviously just tried to imitate the woman. She had only done it to hurt Damon, to try and get him to give up. She should have known that it wouldn't work, nothing ever went the way she planned when it came to him. She stamped away from him, heading to her room. Knowing all too well that Damon would follow her. It would be adorable if it weren't so damn irritating._

_Damon watched as she ascended the staircase.. He intended to bring her deeper down this rabbit hole before letting her wake up. Then he would set the real plan into action. It had worked once before with her after all, he just hoped that it would work half as well this time._

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**A/N Please remember to drop me a review. And thank you so much to those who have followed and favorited this story. Know that I deeply appreciate your interest in my story. I may or may not write more today, but if not I will update again at some point tomorrow, this plot is just claiming my thoughts too much not to.**

**Xo**

**Marquis**


	3. Too Close

**Chapter 3- Too Close**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Diaries and their characters belong to someone else, though I wish I did own them.**

_After letting Elena have space for a few minutes, Damon walked up to her room. There was a little reluctance, considering he had just compared her to the one person that he knew would hurt her the most. But he swore to himself that there was a purpose behind it, that it wasn't just his anger getting the better of him. Leaning against the familiar doorway, he folded his arms against his chest. Elena pointedly ignored him, trying to get her reckless emotions under control again, there was no way that she was going to admit he had gotten under her skin so badly. Not that there was much to admit, he had been under her skin since the fateful day that she had met him. Well the time that she actually remembered meeting him, not the one that he had compelled from her thoughts. She never really counted that as the first time they met._

_Sitting down cross-legged on her bed, teddy bear in her hands._

_Damon shook his head at the image, reminded of how often he had done the same thing, just to get a reaction out of her. Now the tables were turned. He still wanted to get a reaction out of her, he was only uncertain of what it would be._

"_Mind if I join you in there?"_

"_Whether or not I minded has never stopped you before. Why worry about it now?" Her voice was hushed. Like she was trying to hold back from him._

"_I guess you're right," he walked slowly over, letting her adjust to his nearness. Slowly he slid into the bed beside her, lying down on his side, legs slightly curled up to cup her own. Under different circumstances the position would have added a certain amount of comfort. This time it just reminded him of the distance that was currently between them. "What are you thinking? And please, don't hold back."_

_He did the eye thing, trying to get her to smile. Blush. Hide. Scold. Anything that once would have been done without even realizing it. Instead she ignored it, causing Damon to frown slightly. _

"_I'm not her, am I?"She kept her gaze focused in on the teddy bear, moving its arms slightly. She could feel a tickle in the back of her mind, something pushing towards the edge of her consciousness. Furrowing her brow, she fought against it. Refusing to allow anything outside of the box that the switch had created. _

_Damon looked intently at Elena, willing her to look him in the eyes. _

"_No. You are most definitely not Katherine. But if you continue the way you are, you could end up there. And I know that isn't what you want Elena," his voice was soothing. Comforting and enveloping her as it had so often in the past year. There were times where she had come to him just to hear that voice. Just to feel that warmth that it had seeped into her being. "What is it that you want, really?"_

"_I want to not have to worry. The switch let me turn off everything, now I don't have to worry about what new threat comes after us. Or if any of us will live 'til tomorrow. I don't feel the need to sacrifice myself for the sake of them. Any of them."_

"_While I am happy that you finally are over your long streak of martyrdom, you still care for them."_

"_I guess I do. But if my actions hurt them, it isn't up to me to fix it or make it right. I don't feel like I need their approval. And it makes me feel so good."_

_Damon shook his head in exasperation. If only she had come to that realization a long time ago, things could have been so different. "No, you don't have to have their approval. But you never did Elena."_

_Elena scoffed, shaking her head. "I entered Miss Mystic Falls for my mom, cheer too. I have always wanted them to approve of me. And look at you, you openly scorn getting approval from anyone. I understand why it held such appeal for you to be the 'bad guy'." Elena let her fingers create air quotes around the words._

_Smiling softly, Damon reached out a hand to snatch the teddy bear from Elena's lap. "I didn't want their approval. What good would it have done me? I'm not Stefan, the eternal hero hairdo high school boy. Making sure that others are happy with me would just be a waste of my time. But that allows me to do what needs to be done. And it can allow you the same freedom, but you don't have to keep the switch off in order to keep that freedom. Think of Georgia. You were more than completely human then, and you still managed to ignore whether or not the Scooby Gang would have approved." _

_Giggling softly, Elena lay down beside Damon. "Georgia was fun. And there was no one around who could judge me. Not even you."_

"_So why don't we go back? Take another five minute break. That way you can be all 'no emotions' with no consequences."_

_Instantly, Elena sat back up. Eyeing Damon with distrust. "This isn't just a scheme to get me to go back is it?"Her eyes darkened dangerously, allowing Damon to quickly handle the situation before she flew off the handle again._

"_Of course it is. But I also wanted to give you a chance to enjoy yourself, you really seemed to like it out there. And just think, if Human Elena could have so much fun and let loose out there, imagine what you could do now." He wiggled his eyebrows enticingly._

"_I want to wake up now..."She dead panned._

Damon let loose his hold immediately. Still keeping her close to him at the same time. He wanted to cherish how close they were at this moment. She would think that it were too close, but he couldn't care less. He craved this feeling, was addicted to it. Elena stirred from her sleep slowly. She didn't pull out of his arms, didn't move at all, instead she snuggled in closer to him.

"I guess we can go to Georgia. Maybe we could just move out there. It would make things easier."

"No Elena, Mystic Falls is still your home for the time being. Give it a good ten years or so. Or at least until you finish High School. Speaking of, when was the last time you actually showed up to any of your classes?"

"Why go to class? I'm going to live forever, stuck at 18. I am pretty sure I can revisit high school at any time, or just do some sort of online school. And if I want a job, I can compel people to think I have my diploma."

Damon shrugged, he really couldn't argue with that logic. Especially considering he had never actually attended anything like high school himself. Eternal studdom was great, and unlike Stefan he had no intentions of mingling with anyone who couldn't buy or compel their own drinks for longer than a night or two.

"Well, should I pack our bags? Or did you want to handle your own lacey goods?" Flashing his signature smirk, he looked down at the amazing girl that he held in his arms. Praying to whatever god that would listen that this would work, or even just make a dent in that box the real Elena was hiding away in.

**A/N: I guess I just couldn't help myself. I know that the plot is currently slow, but I will swear up and down that things heat up a bit in the next chapter. Review for me please, it makes my heart flutter. (even if the reviews are negative, I like those as much as I love good reviews.)**


	4. Hit the Road Jack

**Chapter 4: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of their characters. I just like to play puppet master occasionally.**

Damon smiled as he watched Elena pack the clothes she had in their shared space. There was a time where he would never have expected this to happen, for her to be in his bed every night, or to have to make room in his closet for her clothes. Well, what clothes he had managed to fit in there before she had burned the rest along with her family home. He watched as she moved smoothly between drawers and the light blue suitcase she had insisted on buying that morning. It made little to no sense that she required another piece of luggage, considering that she had brought over a good three or four when she had first moved into the house after her transition. But of course he had given into her demands and this new blue suitcase was laid out in the middle of his bed, stuffed to bursting already with clothes.

"We should get you something new. I believe that I have seen all of those outfits before," Damon snickered slightly.

"I'm sure I have a thing or two in this case that you haven't seen before." Elena looked over her shoulder alluringly at Damon, daring him to react.

Sitting up a little straighter, Damon peered hard into the suitcase, trying to see if what she was taunting was true. "Well, I guess we should remedy that. If only you cared enough to allow me the privilege. But considering you lack the feelings required to share that bond, I guess I will just have to satisfy my curiosity some other way." He sighed dramatically, watching from the corner of his eyes as Elena rolled her eyes and huffed.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind going shopping. After all, most of my clothes went up in flames at the house. Plus, I think I could really use a change in wardrobe. Who knew that everything I had was so drab," Elena pouted her lip in a way that made Damon quiver slightly.

"I don't know. I like what you used to wear. Sort of a down to earth, small town girl thing. Would have really made a statement at the nearest college; all those frat boys just waiting to swoop in on little ol' innocent you." He had moved behind Elena, holding her hips to his as he teased her. The whole thing was reminiscent of the days before her transition. The only difference was that she left a soft growl escape rather than turn around and push him off of her. To Damon's surprise, he rather missed that once instinctual reaction to his presence.

"Small town girl is just the problem. Especially if we are going to go down to Georgia and party it up. Don't you have an unlimited stash of money? Willing to splurge on me?" Elena felt herself leaning back into Damon's chiseled chest, silently soaking in the comfort that it offered. Emotions or no, Damon always managed to soothe the savage beast within her. Something that her previous relationship had lacked. Sure, Stefan was safe and predictable. But after a couple of months something would always come in between them and boom, new break up new heart break. Damon was the surprising constant in her life despite being unpredictable and wild. It was all rather amusing now that she wasn't so sucked into their drama. And what was more amusing was that she was sure they had acted the same way with Katherine. "No one really ever changes."

Damon stiffened behind her. Releasing her slowly and backing away until he was sitting on the bed again.

"Whoops, guess that one just slipped out," Elena caught herself smiling coyly over her shoulder at Damon.

"What do you mean by it?" He demanded of her, his once soft exterior now cold and distant.

"Exactly what I said. I thought all of these things before, but because of my emotions I refused to say them, not wanting to feel guilty or hurt someone's feelings. You are still impulsive and volatile despite having turned yours on. And Stefan... well he just refuses to admit to the darker side of him whenever he wears his hero hairdo. Katherine selfish, Caroline OCD, Lexi was a fixer. None of us have really changed over the years. We just wear different masks and play pretend." She shrugged her shoulders, it was all true after all. Sure they more fully embodied those different aspects than before, but had any of them really ever changed? She wasn't really sure that any of them had grown at any point in all the time they had spent with each other, and from the stories that she had heard about those older than her, in any of their time as vampires. It was like they were doomed for all time to repeat these simple mistakes that made their core beings.

Damon was taken aback by the simple truth in her words. Sure he thought he was doing better, considering none of the townsfolk were falling over dead as he ravaged through the area. Even Stefan had managed to come back from his ripper binge in record time. But come to think of it, were they really all that different from when they first turned, minus a few heart breaking life experiences. Rather than answer her question, Damon did what he did best, deflect.

"Come on. You don't need to pack much more if you plan on maxing out my credit cards. At least I can trust you to make good use of them," walking past her, he bumped into her hip playfully, leaving her to close and carry her own suitcase, his down at the bottom of the stairs.

Stefan passed him on the way out, eyeing Damon carefully. He wouldn't say anything anymore. Refused to at this point, the two of them had played this back and forth game with Elena since she had shut off her emotions, and right now they were both too tired from dealing with her to manage their usual banter. Nodding his head to his brother, Damon grabbed the suitcase and opened the large oak door. The weight of it took on new meaning, somehow coming to symbolize the weight of his mission with Elena. But as it opened he hoped that she would open up as well.

"Sappy... Must have spent too much time with Stefan these past few years..." Damon muttered under his breath, hoping that it was too low for Vampire hearing to pick up. "Next thing you know I'll be apologizing to Bambi for eating his mom." Shaking his head in disgust with himself, he walked the few feet over to his precious vehicle. Popping open the trunk and stuffing his suitcase inside. Along with the cooler full of "snacks" for he and Elena, there would barely be enough room for her luggage.

"Thank goodness Caroline isn't coming along. She would have to call a cab just for her luggage. And just imagine how that would reflect on you, Mr. Big and Bad with the baby blue Camaro." Elena teased from the doorway, throwing her suitcase at him quickly. Growling, Damon caught it out of the air.

"You're lucky I have super reflexes, or you would have as many stakes in you as there were scratches on the paint."

"Shut up and drive big boy, you know that no one can get close enough to your car to leave a scratch on it, and even if they did, you have enough money to fix her up. Better than new." Smiling, Elena walked over to the passenger side and waited. Obviously expecting Damon to act the gentleman as he had so many times before.

Instead, Damon tossed Elena's luggage in the truck and smoothly walked to the Driver's side, slipping in the car without further comment. Huffing Elena yanked open the door in irritation, sliding into her seat and slamming the door behind her. "Can we get this show on the road already?"

"As you wish princess," with that, Damon revved the engine and headed out the driveway. Only praying that things would be better on the return trip.

**A/N: To all those who have followed and favorited, I will try to post often and frequently for you. For those of you who are new to the story, thank you for your interest, I hope not to disappoint. Just a little fyi however, I went into false labor this afternoon, which means that the real thing is creeping up on me. I won't have internet at the hospital that I am going to, but I will continue writing while I am there. So if I disappear for a few days, I can promise you all a very large chapter to make up for it. I will continue to update you all on my condition, seeing as it affects how often you get updates in this story. But if we are lucky, I should be fine for a good couple of weeks here. :)**


	5. Glimmer

**Chapter 5: Glimmer**

**Disclaimer: I own only this plot and nothing else. Though I wish that I did.**

Elena reached in to fiddle with the radio. It was only the millionth time she had done so during their trip, and it had Damon more than a little on edge. His fingers tapped a jittery pace on the wheel. Neither had spoken since leaving Mystic Falls, the air was thick with a tense electricity. For Damon it was stressed and heavy, for Elena it only made things worse. She tried to drown out everything with music, but the stations seemed stuck on romantic tunes claiming ever-lasting love. Finally, she hit a top 40 station that was playing an upbeat dance song. It was edgy and along the classic lines of finding a one night stand in a night club. Singing along with it under her breath, Elena started to bounce slightly to the beat. Which inevitably led Damon to watching very specific parts of her bounce to the down beat. Distracted, he missed the exit on made a last minute attempt to serve and catch it. The car tipped slightly onto its side due to the velocity, leaving Elena to grip to the edges of the seat, her eyes squeezed shut tightly.

Squeaking slightly, Elena stopped breathing as Damon pulled the car to a stop.

"Elena, Elena! It's ok, nothing happened. Elena!" Damon reached over and cupped her face in his hands. "Hey, you are alright, I'm sorry."

Opening her eyes slowly, the slightest flicker of emotion passed behind the chocolate irises. Damon barely caught it, but knew better than to react, lest he lose her completely to the emotionlessness again.

"I'm fine Damon, it just wasn't expected. Can you please pay attention to where you are going next time, and stop being such a pervert. God, you have been driving since cars were invented, you think you would have better control." She rolled her eyes and released her grip from the car. Only slight indents were any indication of how hard she had been holding on. Elena didn't have the best track record with car accidents after all. Looking back out towards the country side, she huffed. "Well, are we going to start heading out again or not? At this rate, we won't make Georgia before nightfall, and I intend to catch a snack or two before we start having fun." She let a small giggle escape, the momentary lapse in her demeanor gone.

Damon shook his head and started the car back up. "As you wish Princess. And it won't be too much longer anyways, I am sure that you can do more than catch a snack before playtime." Smirking slightly, he turns back onto the exit and breathes deeply. It was there, so close within his grasp. While he was saddened that it took a brief flashback to the dark places that car accidents had impressed upon her, he was glad to see that she was still under there somewhere.

They made it to Georgia in record time, leaving a few hours of daylight ahead of them. While Damon made reservations at the local motel, he would have preferred something fancier, but he wasn't quite sure that having Elena around more people than necessary was a great idea. Elena took off with his Black Amex within seconds and jolted off into town, finding a tiny boutique with a collection of whore couture that would have made Katherine proud. Keeping himself busy setting up their room, Damon refused to think about the events of the last few days. He didn't want to remember how she had manipulated him, or how much it hurt to truly think about how far she was gone, that it was his fault for pushing her to shut off her emotions. Honestly, the only thing he could say was a positive in this whole mess, was that she was no longer affected by the sire bond. Not that that was any better than having her disregard him entirely, unless she felt overtly playful and had no one else around to torture.

An hour later, accompanied by a compelled busboy with two armfuls of clothing purchases, Elena returned to the Motel, looking around the room with disgust. "You let me spend all I want on your card for clothes, but you can't spring for a better place than this? And here I thought you were classier than this, tsk tsk." She waved the boy into the room, indicating that he should place the bags down. "I found your favorite, O neg, and he works out too, which means that he is healthier." She said with a certain amount of annoying perkiness. Damon eyed the fellow and laughed.

"If he works out, than he might want to try steroids, he looks half the size of the Quarterback." Shaking his head, he grabs the boy and holds out the arm towards Elena. "Have a sip or two with me, just remember that Steffy will be very disappointed with the both of us when we head home."

"Like that has ever stopped you before, Damon." Smiling widely, Elena lowers her lips to the offered wrist. Without bothering to wait on Damon, she bites in viciously and takes a large drink. Damon follows shortly after, taking smaller drinks, mostly just to pay attention to the kid's heart rate. After all, none of this was any use if Elena killed more people than severely necessary. After a few minutes, he pulls Elena gently off.

"That's enough, we have to let this kid back to town. After all, we will need a guide to all the best bars in the area, and who better to ask than the local jocks?" Quickly he compels the boy to leave, returning only after dusk.

**A/N: OMG guys, I am so sorry for disappearing. I haven't forgotten about this story, life and baby just got in the way of allowing me to write. I plan on having a new chapter out every week, if not more often. And I promise not to stop until this story is over. This chapter was mainly fluff, but I wanted to get them to Georgia before started up the next plot point. Thank you for those who have stuck with me, and if you are new or old, feel free to drop a review. Much love, Marquis**


	6. No Regrets

**Chapter 6: No Regrets**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, I just have an overactive imagination that features them fairly exclusively. **

Sitting quietly in the corner, with Elena taking a shower, Damon sipped on a cheap, and distasteful, glass of bourbon. He remembered distinctly the last time he and she were locked up in a motel; and while it didn't end pleasantly, he replayed the highlights with fervor. Dusk would come within a few minutes, their guide would show up as demanded, and then he planned on taking Elena out on the town. Getting her liquored up, dancing, and just letting loose. He knew that he probably needed this as much as she did. He needed a night off from worrying about her state of mind, of worrying about how this was his fault, and when his Elena finally came back how much she would hate him. Sighing, Damon took another sip. The liquid made bitter by a sudden memory of his best friend, Alaric. He could almost hear Alaric's voice in his head, "Buddy, you messed up bad. But it isn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last. You know Elena, can't keep from forgiving you and giving you another chance; even when it would be better for her. Now get off your ass and make this right."

Damon smiled slightly. It would be something Alaric would say, and something that at one point, Damon might threaten to snap his neck for. Warning him to mind his own business, that she said it would always be Stefan, then offer to buy the next round. All in the same breath. That was what he missed most about the failed Vampire Hunter. That he could threaten to kill him, but as long as he didn't actually break his neck, or any bones, they could move on with the next drink. Alaric was the only one who he could stand being around when he was moody.

_Well, _he thought to himself with a smirk, _I would usually add Elena to that statement. But I think things are a little too strained for her to deal with my moodiness._

Chuckling, he focuses back on his drink. Hearing the door to the bathroom creak open, Damon's drink drops to the floor with a soft thud, the liquid spilling out onto the floor. Elena steps out, her hair curled softly, draped over one shoulder. Her eyes are smudged with a soft green eye shadow, and bold black eyeliner. She is wearing a red lacy dress, with black highlights hugging the very edges of her body, cutting off mid-thigh. The dress has a sweetheart neckline, pressing her breasts up high enough to test Damon's very control. Swallowing harshly, Damon forces himself to look away, eyeing the discarded cup with a sneer.

"Cheap bourbon, wasn't too much of a waste I suppose. Could barely swallow it anyways."

"You seem to be ignoring the fact that you dropped it in the first place. What happened to the smooth stud who could look at a woman, no matter how hot, and ooze confidence?" Elena teased, strutting forward with her seven inch nude stilettos.

"What happened to the girl who didn't remind me so very much of a certain petrova?" Damon responded without missing a beat, leaning down to pick up the glass and set it on the end table. Holding a hand out, he grasp's Elena's as she offers it out. Spinning her once into his arms, he looks down at her, eyes playful but soft. "In any case, the boys out here don't stand a chance. You, my dear, are sex on a stick. They will be drooling as they whine at life unfairness. After all, look at the two of us, a very attractive couple if I do say so myself." He smiles that crooked smile of his.

"It is a bit unfair isn't it? A good thing we aren't technically a couple then, isn't it?" Elena says with a cool smile, kissing Damon's cheek. Then firmly detaching herself from his hold. "The busboy will be here soon. Should we snack on him before going, or sample the native delicacies?"

Eyes now glinting hard, Damon smirks," Save your appetite. There will be plenty of morsels to sample. And the more we take from without draining, the less likely you are to regret anything down the road."

"I thought we were past discussing that. I don't plan on regretting anything, because I don't plan on turning back on. Plus I thought we were taking a break from worrying about that, weren't you?"

Bowing slightly, Damon winks at Elena. "My apologies, it seems to have slipped my mind. In any case, I don't planned on being outed here in one of my favorite towns. So mind your manners." He moves to open the door, anticipating the busboy knocking on the door before the kid has the chance to. The startled boy jumped back, eyes wide. "Well come on in. Thank goodness you have arrived just in time to allow my dear over here a little snack. And I would like to stop calling you busboy, so what is your name."

"Kyle," the young man said as he walked over toward Elena. "Did you want a taste miss?"

"Mmm I love a boy with manners," Elena teased. Taking a hold of Kyle's wrist and biting down. The black veins snaking up toward her eyes. Damon loved when she looked like this, watching as ecstasy played out over her face, as she allowed herself to be a vampire without worry who was watching. Walking over, he moved to grab her waist, kissing the back of her neck.

"You are so beautiful Elena. You are perfect, just like this," he whispered into her hair, allowing for a small moment of unguarded affection. Elena played with her hips, pressing them against Damon. Then unlatched from Kyle's wrist. "Come now my dear, time for a little bit of fun. Kyle, please feel free to wash up your wrist while Elena and I have a short conversation." Nodding towards the bathroom, Damon turns Elena around in his arms. "Please behave here Elena, there are plenty of people who are more than willing to kill you if they realize what you are. And I feel bad enough about allowing you to terrorize yourself without emotions; I don't need your blood on my hands."

He holds her chin in his hands, eyes pleading. Elena stares at him for a moment, eyes hard before softening slightly. "I believe that we have done enough talking Damon. I agree to keep my other face out of the picture. We don't need to get into trouble on our vacation." She smiles at him prettily, obviously playing up her innocence for his approval.

Shaking his head, Damon kisses her forehead. Kyle walks out of the bathroom with a small bandage on his forearm. "Are you both ready to hit the bar?" He asks politely. There was something about his innocence that made Damon wince softly, something that he expected Elena to take full advantage of when she could. After all, she only learned from the best. Damon snuck a glance down a Elena, picturing the way he soft doe eyes would melt when meeting his, remembering the way they had lit with passion that one night. Elena shot a look up at him, eyes empty from everything but the expectations of a feast. Sharp, harsh; no longer the warm chocolate they once were, but instead infested with a predatory gleam that was foreign to him. At least upon her face it was.

"Let's go babe, can't keep everyone waiting. And tonight is all yours, do whatever you want, no rules. Tonight is your five minute break, tomorrow we can deal with the consequences and go from there. Understood?" Damon kept his face studiously impassive, letting her know that nothing she said was going to change this plan. His tone leaving no room for argument.

Elena nodded before winking at him. "Whatever you say, personally I think that tomorrow will just end up bringing a different kind of fun. Well boy, show us the way." She flicked her hand at Kyle, to which he responded with a slight bow of his head before moving mechanically outside. Arm wrapped around her shoulder, Damon pushed Elena forward slightly, taking the lead in this particular situation. No regrets, he whispered under his breath, willing it to be true.

**A/N I would apologize again, however this is one time too many. I wont promise another date, but know that I am already working on the next chapter. Much Love, Marquis.**


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